Little Falls transcript., 1887-02-25
OLD GRIDLEY'S GHOST,


"Why, Durham, what's the matcer?
How your hand trembles! Are you
sick?''
"No; not exactly"
What ails you then? Speak out,
man, Have you been seeing ghost?"
ITO tell the truth, Maggie, do feel
a little nervous this morning. !
haven't made a trip these twenty
years that l dreaded like this"
"Seen Old Gridley again?"
"Yes."
"Pshaw! I thought that was it.
Haven't you seen him dozen times
before and nothing came of it,?
''This time he had his sextant."
All this was at the breakfast-table
Durham was mate Of the Orc Fino,
making trimonthly trips between
Portland and San Francisco. He had
sailed thirty-sjx years, been round the
world twice, been captain about six
years, but lost his ship and couldn't
get another and SO was glad to be first
mate OF the Orc Fino.
Durham had habit otseeing ghosts,
or, rather, ghost, for he never saw
but one; that was old Gridley. Gridley
was mate OF the vessel on which Dun
ham made his first trip as q ship-boy.
That Trip was Dunham's first, but
Gridley's last. Gridley had passion
tor beating ship-boys with a ropes
end; he died in the act OF beating
Durham with q ropes end. Gridley
was taking an observation with the
sextant, and, as the boy was passing
him with q bucket and swabs, sud-
dan lQrch OF the ship threw him
against the mate. Gridley seized q
ropes end, and was belaboring the boy
soundly when a boom, provide ntially
left loose, struck him and knocked
him overheard. Ever since that, on
numerous occasions, Dunham had
seen Gridley's ghost-usually with q
ropes end, but sometimes with q SEX
sant- He had never been able to see
any particular fatality portended by
the vision with the ropes end, He
had seen it g. dozen times; and, on
some occasions, his best luck had
seemed to follow the apparition. Not
so when the ghost with the sextant
appeared. He had seen this only
twice-once, the night before he fell
from the foretop and broke his leg;
the other time, the night before his
ship was cast away.
Last night was the third time He
had walked up and found himself ly-
ing on his back The room was per
fectly dark; it was also perfectly still.
Dunham could see nothing and could
hear nothing. Nevertheless, ne felt
that something or somebody was in
the room that ought to be out Of it.
He also felt a draught of cold air.
Dunham was no stickler for ventilated
apartments, and had carefully closed
and locked the windows before retir-
ing. The air could not come from
the windows; neither could it come
from the bedroom door, for that
opened into the sitting-room just op.
posite to a window, and if the door
had been open he could have seen the
window. Despite his natural courage,
Durham was frightened. He raised
himself on his elbow very cautiously.
He looked about the room; he
could see absolutely nothing. He
reached over to where Mag
gle, his wife, slept-she was
there he moistned his finger in his
mouth and held 1t up. He could then
sensibly feel the draft OF air coming
from the foot OF his bed. He got up
and struck a light. Looking over his
shoulder as he did so, he saw, at the
foot OF his bed, old Gridley 1t would
do no good to shout aloud-his wife
would only laugh at him. He had
often walked her up to look at the
ghost, but she professed never to see
it. 1t would do no good to go up to
the apparition and try to seize it-he
had often done this, and it only dis
appeared for an instant to reappear
in another part OF the room. So he
left the lamp burning and got into
bed with his eyes fixed on the figure.
This time Gridlsy had his sextant,
and seemed busy bringing an imagin-
ary sun down to an imaginary hori-
zon. The operation completed, the
figure turned to the bureau and SEEM
ed to be making the calculation.
then he turned to Dunham, and shook
his head negatively, and dashed the
seNtanJ to the floor. A sudden era OK
startled the mate. He had turned
the lampwick to high, and the Chin
ney had cracked and fallen to the
floor.
In the morning Dunham was little
nervous. However, having taken q
cup or two of strong coffee, and if it
must be confessed, q thimblefnl of
brandy. he felt more composed.
Joey Durham, the mates only child,
q boy Of ten years OF age, almost al
ways accompanied his father on his
trips. This time Dunham proposed to
leave him at home; but the boy SEEM
cd SO disappointed that his father fin
ally gave way, and they started to-
gether down to the wharf. Il,
What a busy scene is the departure
OF an ocean steamer! Drays, buses.
cabs, carriages, rattling and thunder
Ing on to the quay; mountains OF lug
gage piled upon the wharf, or being
lowered into the hold; !; sta.vart Aliases
staggering under the world of trunks
which they have shonldered; mates,
crews, porters, 7 cabmen, passengers,
boys, all shouting Justify in solo or
chorus; the ships engine blowing OF
steam with 9 deafenlng roar; timid
ladies' making their first trip, being